mmmmmmirmmmatm 



The TRIUMPH 
OF LIGHT By 

CHARLES KEELER 



p s 

3521 
E2<oTt 





Class __r§_35ai_ 



Copyright )^°- 



\<^^ 4- 



COFYRIGHT DEPOSm 



/ 



THE TRIUMPH 
or LIGHT -^ ^ 

A California Midwinter Sun Mystery 

BY CHARLES KEELER 



PUBLISHED AT THE SIGN OF THE 

LIVE-OAK, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 

MCMIV 



UtSfiARY of CCNwHtiS 
Two Copies Kcceived 

DEC 23 1304 

,nCoDyrigtit Entry 
CUSS /!> XXc, Noi 






Copyright 1904 
By Charles Kebler 



Application has been made to have 
the copyright of this Mystery cover 
the acting rights. Arrangements 
fof'^r&matic presentation may be 
n>q(te« by addressing the author. 



Press of 

Standard Publishing Company 

Berkeley, California 



CHARACTERS REPRESENTED 

In ihe order of their appearance 

Priest of the Sun 

Chorus of Night 

Mortality 

Seraph of Dawn 

The Spirits of California — 

Quercus — the oak 

Pinus — the pine 

Madrono 

Sequoia 

Sacramento 

Shasta 

Pacificus 

The Sierrades 

Nymphs and Dryads, led by Pan 
Chorus of Birds — 

Meadow Lark 

Quail 

Goldfinch 

Wren 

Jay 

Robin 

Golden-crowned Sparrow 

Song-Sparrow 

Wren Tit 

California Woodpecker 



CHARACTERS REPRESENTED 

Nature — Mother of Earth and Sea 
Chorus of Flowers — 

Violet Nightshade 

Orange Mimulus 

Fern 

Brake 

Thimble-Berry 

Mustard 

Buttercup 

Scouring Rush 

Wild Currant 

Purple Lupine 
First, Second, Third and Fourth Heralds of 

the Sun 
Chorus of the Sun, representing the twelve 

signs of the Zodiac 
King of Light 
Love — a little child 

Scene — A Church. The organ plays Fantasie 
in Freiem Style by Gustav Merkel (Leipsic, 
J. Reiter — Biedermann). 



the: triumph or light 

(Enter a Priest of the Sun in scarlet robe, piped 
with gold.) 

PRIEST OF THE SUN 

Attend, O host devout, we bid you heed 
A pageant timed for the ascending sun. 
The southmost arc is traced, and day by day 
The orb of light in widening zones aspires, 
Scaling the zenith in triumphant round. 
Season of eld to Saturn dedicate. 
With twinkling tapers and new-lighted pyres, 
Commemoration of the golden age 
When Cronus with titanic hierarchy 
Dominion held within the zodiac. 
Here by the wide west sea another race 
Of forms Cyclopean have conspired to rear 
Wild monuments of wonder and delight. 
With fire and ice, with wind and rain and snow 
The giant sculptors long have striven here. 
Fashioning with tireless zeal their work sub- 
lime. 
Attend, O friends devout, and learn what 

chanced 
To that world-surfeited, unhappy man. 
Mortality, who, lost in ebon gloom. 
Unfriended wandered. Lore of earth had he 



THi: TRIUMPH or LIGHT 

With Science probed, and to its utmost deeps 
With microcosmic scrutiny explored; 
And he was tyrant in that mighty realm 
Where well-stored coffers buy what men will 

sell- 
Labor and life and honor — all for gold! 

(Alas that we are subjects of this lord!) 

You shall behold the harbinger of Dawn 

Encounter him amid the sombre night, 

And summon round the spirits of the West — 

The everlasting hills, the trees, the sea. 

The birds and flowers. And then a pageant 

bright, 
The King of Day with radiant throng shall 

come, 
While all the wild things chant a hymn of 

praise. 
And stately Nature shall invoke his power 
To lift the veil and show Mortality 
The mystery of life. O hallowed sight ! 
The mystery that Hindoo Krishna taught. 
That Indian Buddha preached by Ganges 

stream. 
That Plato in Athenian groves made plain, 
That Christ maintained in death on Calvary. 
Now at this festal hour we hail the light, 



THi: TRIUMPH or LIGHT 

And peace on earth, good will to men we sing. 

O Lord, we pray Thee, lead us toward the 
right. 

As sure as winter moveth toward the spring ! 

(Exit Priest of the Sun. The lights are turned 
off, leaving the church in total darkness. A 
low murmur of the organ is heard. Oriental 
Sketch No. 2, F minor, by Arthur Bird. 
Voices sound in the darkness intoning sol- 
emnly while the music plays.) 

CHORUS OF NIGHT 
Darkness and gloom and the spectres noctur- 
nal enthralled, 
Flutter of bat-wings tumultuous fanning the 
air! 
Weird ullulations of owls by night unappalled, 
Echoing deep through the caverns of doom 
in despair! 

Hoo! too hoo! Hoo! too hoo! 
With the whisk and the whir of the bat-wings 

astir 
'Mid the boughs of the oak, in the needles of fir ! 
O dolorous darkness, O chaos of gloom. 
We chant from the deeps of the forest of doom ! 
(From another part of the church is heard a 
voice crying out in the dark) . 



THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT 

MORTALITY 

Woe is me ! Woe is me ! 
Lost is Mortality! 
Whelmed in iniquity! 
Cursed by grim destiny ! 
Ghosts of the haunted wood 
Bode naught of vaunted good, 
Dead things are clattering, 
Demons are chattering, 
Lost is Mortality, 
Cursed by grim destiny ! 

CHORUS OF NIGHT 

Spirits of the dark wind. 

Spectres of the damp wind, 

Furies of the cruel wind. 

Croon us a lullaby. 

Sigh us a hushaby song of despair ! 

Gasp of the flowers that shrivel before you. 

Cry of the birdlings that shiver and flee! 

Wail us a dirge for the things that abhor you. 

Croon us a catch from the rune of the sea ! 

MORTALITY 
Hark to the fiends in funereal din ! 



8 



THi: TRIUMPH or LIGHT 

Woe to Mortality, cursed and alone! 
Night with tempestuous troubles of sin 
Shudders about with lugubrious moan ! 
Where is the light? 
Not a beam in the night, 
Not a star in the heavens to lead me aright ! 

CHORUS OF NIGHT 

Hoo! too hoo! Hoo! too hoo! 

King Bubo is crying 

And echoes are dying 

In grottos of gloom, 

Hoo! too hoo! Hoo! too hoo! 

List to his calling ! 

Echoes are falling 

To faint on his tomb ! 

(A voice is heard chanting in another part of 
the church. The Seraph of Dawn appears 
carrying a dim taper representing the morn- 
ing star. A faint light gleams on the black- 
robed shrinking figures of the Chorus of 
Night.) 

SERAPH OF DAWN 

Make way for my master — the King of the 
Day! 



THi: TRIUMPH or LIGHT 

Flee spirits unhallowed in fearful array! 
Hence ! owls and bats to your caverns in fear, 
For the conquering King of the Morning is 
near! 

CHORUS OF NIGHT 

Murmur and mumble and mutter and moan, 
The bats are a-winging, the owlets have flown. 

The night wind is sleeping. 

The dawn mist is weeping 
And we must be sweeping to drearier zone! 

(Exit Chorus of Night.) 

SERAPH OF DAWN 

Spirits of the winter brooks and rills, 

Piping Pan with all your rabble rout. 
Valley nymphs and Oreiads of the hills, 

Attend the dawn with jocund song and 
shout ! 
Bearded Quercus, gnarled and bent, 

Stately Pinus, green and straight. 
Madrono gay with berries sprent, 

Hoar Sequoia, titan great — 
Attend the dawn! Attend! Attend! 
Come Sacramento, lift your silver voice. 

And lead your mother Shasta, frore and 
white, 



lO 



the: triumph or light 

Come vast Pacificus and shout, Rejoice! 

The King of Day is nigh with boon of light ! 
Ye hoar-crowned brethren, the Sierrades, 
With call of storms on peaks above the trees, 
Attend the dawn ! Attend! Attend! 

(The organ plays the War March of the 
Priests in Athalie, by Mendelssohn — organ 
arrangement by Charles Steggall. Enter the 
Spirits of California, Quercus, Pinus, Ma- 
drono, Sequoia, Sacramento, Shasta, Pacifi- 
cus, the Sierrades, with Nymphs and Orei- 
ads; led by Pan. The light of dawn 
brightens.) 

MORTALITY 

Look, what a pageant troops from dusk of 

night ! 
The solemn conclave of the priests of light ! 
O would that I might find the pure serene 
That, hallowed, broods o'er their sublime de- 



mesne 



CHORUS OF THE SPIRITS OF CALI- 
FORNIA 

(Sung to the tune of War March of the 
Priests.) 



II 



THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT 

O wake, wake, wake! Cometh the promise of 
the morning! 

O hope ! O boon of joy, the King of Day as- 
cends his throne! 

O wake, wake, wake! Banished is night! 
Blessed be light! light! light! 

Lord of the Day! Conquering King! Hail! 
Hail! 

Light, light, light, light! Hail! Hail! 

All cry! shout! sing! 

Sing forth the tidings glad of morn. 

O hallelujah ! praise the Lord of Light ! 

Hail the King of Day! 

MESSENGER OF DAWN 

Sleeping winter birdlings waken, 

Morning's breeze your boughs have shaken. 

Lift your heads and whet your bills. 

Stretch your wings and peck your quills! 

Meadow-larks on misty lea 

Pipe a winter melody ! 

Tit-larks teetering on the plain. 

Twit your merry calls again. 

Rouse you saucy blue-coat jay, 

Kinglets wake at break of day ! 

Bustling wren and tiny tit 



12 



THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT 

'Mid the manzanitas flit ! 
Sleeping winter birdlings waken — 
Morning's breeze your boughs have shaken ! 

(Enter a troop of boys dressed to represent 
the Chorus of Birds. They hop and skip 
about, each impersonating a particular bird.) 

CHORUS OF BIRDS 

Light hearts, 
Bright hearts, 
Beating gay 
At peep of day! 
Full throats. 
Glad notes, 
Rippling free 
In bush and tree! 

MEADOW LARK 

Gold in the mist are the meadows at morn. 
Little mate list while I wind my horn! 
Twie, twie, twill de dill dee ! 

QUAIL 

Coo, coo, coo! Coo, coo, coo! 

The top of the morning, kind friends, to you ! 



13 



THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT 

GOLDFINCH 

O we twitter on the thistle-down, twit, twit, 
twit! 

WREN 

O we chatter in the bramble and we never mind 
a whit! 

JAY 

Squawk, squawk, squawk ! and squeak, squeak, 
squeak ! 

ROBIN 

O cheer up at the dawning and be merry when 
you speak! 

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ! 

GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW 
I'm so sad ! I'm so sad ! 
(Recited with a sigh on a downward scale.) 

SONG SPARROW 

Why not be glad 
Like me? 
Tweedle de dee! 

WREN TIT 
Tit! tit! tit! ta reeeeeee! 



14 



THE TRIUMPH or LIGHT 

CALIFORNIA WOODPECKER 
O rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat on the tree! 

CHORUS OF BIRDS 

We flutter and flit 
With a tweet and a twit ! 
Swift wings a-whirring 
'Mid winter leaves stirring! 
We frolic and flutter 
And merrily utter 
Our trill-de-dill-dillings, 
Our chirrups and trillings. 

(Mortality advances to the front. He is an old 
man with long white beard, and leans on 
a staff.) 

MORTALITY 

Alas, and woe is me, there is no peace. 

Though night is gone, from care is no sur- 
cease ! 

Why, look you little birds, how blithe your 
notes ! 

Do sorrows never choke your gurgling 
throats? 

(Enter Nature, Mother of Earth and Sea.) 

Behold, your Mother Nature draweth near, 



15 



THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT 

The fair earth matron greets her children 
dear! 

NATURE 
What ho, my children, waken all and sing ! 

CHORUS OF BIRDS 

We flutter and flit 
With a tweet and a twit ! 
Swift wings a-whirring 
'Mid winter leaves stirring. 

NATURE 

Ah, blithe you are, my birdlings gay, 
Singing and chirping at peep of day! 
Sweet meadow-lark, arise and heed 
The flush of dawn ! come, tune your reed ! 

MEADOW-LARK (dancing forward). 
Twee, twee! twill diddle dee! 
NATURE 
And where is proud Sir Plumed Quail? 

QUAIL (dancing forward). 
Coo, coo, coo ! How do you do ! 

i6 



THE TRIUMPH or LIGHT 

NATURE 
Now little black-capped goldfinch, hail ! 

GOLDFINCH (dancing forward). 
Twie-te-te-te-te-te-te-te-te ! 

NATURE 
And is my saucy wren about? 

WREN (dancing forward). 
Chat-chat-chat-chat-chat-chat ! 
NATURE 
And Where's the jay with laugh and shout? 
JAY (dancing forward). 
Squawk! squawk! squawk! squawk! 
NATURE 

Ho ! birdlings all with song and call, 
Behold the winter sun is coming ! 

So flit about the forest hall 

With whistling pipe and wings a-hum- 
ming. 

(The birds dance about her and then retreat.) 

Ho! messenger of dawn, where sleep my 
flowers? 

17 



THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT 



Bid drowsy heads uplift in woodland 
bowers ! 

MESSENGER OF DAWN 

Winter flow'rets lift your heads, 
Nod no more in mossy beds, 
Violet nightshade's clustering bells 
Open wide in darkling dells. 
Orange mimulus awake. 
Fronds uncurl, O fern and brake. 
Crinkly thimble-berry white. 
Mustard gay in yellow dight, 
Buttercups that star the hills. 
Scouring rushes by the rills. 
Pungent currant wild in pink. 
Swaying at the canbn's brink. 
Purple lupines frilled with gray, — 
All attend in blithe array. 

(Enter the Chorus of Flowers marching and 
singing to the organ accompaniment of 
Marche Religieuse, by A. Chauvet (Best's 
Collection of Organ Pieces, Augener & Co., 
London.) 

Waking at peep of day. 
Lightly we swing and sway! 
Gaily! gaily! 

i8 



THE TRIU MPH OF LIGHT 

Tossing our heads in play! 

Opening our petals bright, 
Ah what a happy sight! 
Hail ho! hail ho! 
Hail to the dawning! 

(Organ interlude.) 

Soon will the sun appear, 
Scattering joy and cheer, 

Brightly! brightly! 
Down on his children dear! 

(The music changes and the flowers dance, 
singing in chorus.) 

Shimmering leaves and bells a-shaking. 
Morning weaves its spell of waking. 
Tossing heads and stems a-swaying, 
Come and join our troop a-playing ! 

Fuzzy bees are buzzing round us. 
Morning's gentle breeze has found us, 
And a merry pipe 'tis blowing 
While we frisk in flounces flowing ! 

(Organ interlude in march time.) 

All sing: 



19 



THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT 

Hail! hail! the dawning! 
Fondly swells our song of peace! 

MORTALITY. 

Ah Mother Nature, would that I might be, 
Like these your children, young and full of joy, 
Making the welkin ring at flush of day 
With song and laughter from a care-free 
breast ! 

NATURE 

Alas, Mortality, thou hast not learned 
The way to happiness ! the road to youth ! 
Take counsel of my children and be blessed ! 

MORTALITY 

Ah, I have learned of them these many 

years; 
The lore of ages sits upon my brow. 
High as the eagle have I soared for truth, 
And delved darkly with the ant and mole. 
The seas interminable have I ranged; 
Aye, to the pole star have I searched the dome. 
But like an incubus my garnered store 
Is slowly pressing me within my tomb ! 



20 



THi: TRIUMPH or LIGHT 

NATURE 

Nay, nay, Mortality, thou hast not learned 
The mystery of mysteries, I ween. 
Unholy creatures gave you tutelage 
And held your heart in thrall. Mortality, 
Had'st thou a mother? 

MORTALITY. 

'Twas so long agone 
I scarce recall her voice or countenance. 

NATURE 
And hads't a mate to bear you children dear? 

MORTALITY. 

No mate, no children, save my brood of 
thoughts. 

MOTHER NATURE. 

Alas Mortality, your thoughts are dead. 
And so you wander childless in the gloom ! 
Hark, your compatriots call you from afar! 

(The voices of the Chorus of Night heard in 
the distance.) 

Murmur and mumble and mutter and moan. 
The bats are a- winging, the owls have flown; 



21 



THi: TRIUMPH or LIGHT 

The night wind is sleeping, 
The dawn mist is weeping, 
And we must be sweeping to drearier zone. 

MORTALITY. 
Oh save me, Mother Nature, from my doom ! 

NATURE 

Go follow the birds and flowers in search of 
truth, 

And if as you wander you find what you lost, — 
your youth. 

Ah, cherish it tenderly, ask it the riddle you 
seek. 

And list with your heart to its words if per- 
chance it but speak. 

(The Spirits of California lead the Chorus of 
Birds and Flowers. Mother Nature beckons 
to her children, and all march around the 
church, followed by Mortality, to the tune 
of Mendelssohn's War March of the Priests. 
The Messenger of Dawn alone remains at 
the altar.) 

O wake, wake, wake! Cometh the promise of 
the morning! 



22 



LofC. 



the: triumph or light 

O hope! O boon of joy, the King of Day as- 
cends his throne! 

O wake, wake, wake! Banished is night! 
Blessed be light! light! Hght! 

Lord of the Day! Conquering King! Hail! 
Hail! 

Light, light, light, light! Hail! Hail! 

All cry ! shout ! sing ! 

Sing forth the tidings glad of morn ! 

O hallelujah! praise the Lord of Light! 

Hail the King of Day! 

Out of the south 
Armored in gold 
Sparkling with fire! 
Yonder he comes. 
King of the Day ! 
Lord of the Light, 
Hail to the King! Hail! 

Round him a throng, 
Chanting his praise, 
Hail to the King! Hail! 
Master and Sire, 
Parent of Earth, 
Hail to the King! Hail! 
Darkness has fled, 
Vanished is night. 



23 



THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT 

Heralds are nigh 
Trumpeting dawn! 
Out of the south, 
Yonder he comes, 
Hail to the King! Hail? 

MORTALITY 

Ah Mother Nature, would that this might be 
The dawning of a day of hope for me. 
My sand runs low; the reaper's scythe is nigh 
To gather my sere sheaf. I soon must die! 

NATURE 

Mortality, attend the King of Light! 

Invoke his sufferance in your behest, 
And if I read the heavens aught aright 

Methinks his guerdon may reward your 
quest! 

(Organ plays Reverie by P. A. Schnecker, Oli- 
ver Ditson.) 

MESSENGER OF DAWN 

Behold the coming of the throng of light! 

(Enter one of the Chorus of the Sun, clad in 
white and gold.) 

24 



the: triumph or light 

FIRST HERALD OF THE SUN 

The sphere swings round to greet its King ! 

CHORUS 

We swell the choir his praise to sing! 

(Enter Second Herald of the Sun.) 

SECOND HERALD 
Ye spirits lift your eyes above the hills! 

CHORUS 
Look what a blaze of glory round them thrills ! 

(Enter Third Herald.) 

THIRD HERALD. 
The bright chrysocracy returns to power! 

CHORUS 
In El Dorado blessed be the hour ! 

(Enter Fourth Herald.) 

FOURTH HERALD 
Eureka! Hail the King! Behold his might! 

CHORUS. 
All hail the King of Day! All hail the Light! 

25 



THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT 

(Enter the Chorus of the Sun. At their head 
the King of Day in coat of golden mail with 
winged helmet. Surrounding him are his fol- 
lowers all in white and gold. In their center 
are a company of boys, also in white and 
gold, bearing a litter covered over with a 
sparkling canopy. The Spirits of Califor- 
nia, Chorus of Birds and of Flowers shield 
their eyes and bow their heads. A blaze of 
light shines on the King of Day and his fol- 
lowers. Then with one accord lifting their 
arms they sing to the tune of the 2nd move- 
ment of Schnecker's Reverie.) 

Sun in thy splendor of radiant might, 
Burning in brilliance of conquering light. 
Vast in the waste of the azure around thee. 
Heaven to bear thee and heaven to bound thee, 
Whence came the glory thou givest away? 
Giver of gold at the gates of the day. 

The trees and the flowers are fed by thy beams. 
The cold earth is warmed by thy glittering 

streams, 
The waters are woven in vestments above it 
To shed benedictions in vapors that love it ; 
And all by the might of thy radiant sway, 
Giver of gold at the gates of the day ! 

26 



THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT 

Calling the winds from the caves of the pole, 
Bidding the boisterous thunder to roll, 
Binding the planets submissive about thee, 
Earth and its wonders would perish without 

thee. 
Spelled by the might of thy radiant sway, 
Giver of gold at the gates of the day ! 

NATURE (leading Mortality) 

King of all bright and joyous gods of air, 
And peerless master of the spheres of light, 
O glorious ruler in thy parel blue. 
Shining with thine own splendor through the 

void, 
A multitude of spirits voice thy praise ! 
Thou hast engirdled earth with zone of cloud. 
The waters thou hast scattered o'er the hills. 
Thou hast ordained the winds, thy ministrants. 
And summoned jocund birds to grace thy 

bow'rs. 
At touch of thy bright wand the buds unfurl. 
The waves all sparkle at thy joyous glance. 
The world obeys thy mandates from afar. 
The singing spheres in loud accord to thee 
Address their harmonies, and all the throng 
Of orbed followers, in mighty strains, 
Augment thy majesty. Fair Earth is thine, 



27 



THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT 

With her pale lesser child, and all the day 
Thou castest benediction on her head! 
Thy will is perfect law, thy word is light, 
And thy sweet influence unites the world. 
Life, at thy bidding, leaps from formless stone ; 
The gods of sea and land, of cloud and shore 
All own thy sovereignty, majestic King! 
Thou makest cold things warm with ardent 

touch. 
Thou castest sorrow to the winds of night, 
Thou fillest earth and heav'n with joy and love ! 

KING OF LIGHT 
Blest hierarchy of Earth, let joy resound! 

NATURE 

Before you stands Mortality, O King, 
By centuries of sorrow lowly bowed. 

KING OF LIGHT 

And wouldst thou own allegiance unto me? 

MORTALITY 
Aye, King of Day. I bend before your might. 

KING OF LIGHT 
And dost thou fealty vow, O neophyte? 

28 



run TRIUMPH or LIGHT 

MORTALITY (bending low) 

My long, unprofitable, mal-spent years 
Now lay I at thy feet, majestic King! 

KING OF LIGHT 

Ill-starred thy wanderings through the wold of 

fears. 
Arise, and with the choir of morning sing ! 
We shall initiate thee, seeking light. 
Like Saturn zone thee with a girdle bright ; 
The mystery of life unveiled shall be, 
O seeker in the dark — Mortality! 
Where hast thou wandered, lo these many 

years. 
Envisaged with wan night's unholy fears? 

MORTALITY 

Two lights have lured me on through restless 

years, 
Power and truth, my lode-stars, lit the way. 
The power of piled gold no challenge hears. 
And science spells all hearts, — august its sway ! 
Gold buyeth palaces to tomb the soul. 
And whirling dust for science is the goal. 
Not in the dance of atoms lingers truth, 
But in the wide- world pulsing heart of youth ! 
For truth, behold, is light, and light is life, 



29 



the: triumph or light 

And at the inmost zone of life is love, 
The power triumphant in the world of strife, 
God's spirit bideth not aloof, above! 
Unveil thy canopy, O spirits bright ! 
Behold, Mortality, the heart of light! 

(Two of the Chorus of Light lift the canopy 
from the litter and reveal the figure of a 
sleeping child robed in white. The organ 
plays "In Paradisum" from Douze Pieces 
Nouvelles pour Orgue, by Theod. Dubois.) 

CHORUS OF LIGHT 

Lo the holy vision. 

Mystic light of the world. 

Seal of God for doubting mortals, 

Spirit pure of love undying, 

Man delivering, death encompassing; 

Lighting life with the fire of God! 

All fondly we behold the child. 
O fired with joy we gather near ! 
Blest gift of God on earth — O holy child! 
Serene in sleep fondly dreaming ! 

(Organ plays — then repeat song.) 
O awaken. 



30 



THi: TRIUMPH or LIGHT 

We sing thy praise, 

All hail ! The child of love ! 

MORTALITY 

So fair a vision have mine ancient eyes 
Ne'er lingered on ere this propitious morn ! 
Methought when with my spectrum I dis- 
solved 
The beam of light, and each component part 
Accounted in analysis, no more 
Of mystery defied my searching ken; 
But lo, this waking vision hath disclosed 
A subtler, fairer presence shrined in light. 

KING OF LIGHT (handing Mortality a 
torch.) 
This torch of truth accept. Mortality, 
And with it wake the sleeping form of Love. 

(Mortality takes the torch and holds it in front 
of the face of the sleeping child. The child 
awakens and slowly stands.) 

LOVE. 

Who art thou, Sire, that hath awakened me? 

MORTALITY 
I am Mortality, o'erburthened long 
With ills of flesh immedicable. 



31 



THE TRIUMPH or LIGHT 

LOVE. 

Lo, 

Mortality, I pity thee, dear soul. 

Bend down and let me kiss your ills away. 

(Mortality bends over and Love kisses him.) 

Thus from a child gain immortality ! 

MORTALITY 

Dear child, in joy I fold you to my breast. 
Searching I found not God, but with the kiss 
A little child bestows, love enters in 
To light the tabernacle of my heart, 
And in that secret chamber, lo I see 
God's grace benign of immortality! 

(Lights out. The church in total darkness. 
All march slowly out singing. Organ, "In 
Paradisum.") 

Lo, the holy vision, 

Mystic light of the world, 

Seal of God for doubting mortals. 

Spirit pure of love undying 

Man delivering, death encompassing. 

Lighting life with the fire of God ! 

(Lights on.) 

THE END 



32 



